Looking for the perfect holiday present for that photographer in your life? It’s not always easy! These are best photography gift ideas for camera lovers, no matter what your budget.
Skip the gift card this year, and buy a birthday or holiday photography gift that your favorite amateur or professional photographer will actually appreciate.
These popular gifts for photographers can help make taking photos more convenient.
Photographers can be a picky bunch! If you’re not a photographer yourself, it can be difficult to know what they want.
As a long-time travel photographer, I choose to pack photo gadgets that have multiple uses, don’t take up to much space, and will improve my photography experience of capturing beautiful images.
So here are some of my best gift ideas for photographers that are guaranteed to put a smile on the recipient’s face!
A must-have for photographers to keep their camera sensors clean. The Eyelead Cleaning Kit is used to pull away stubborn sensor dust that can’t be removed with a standard air blower.
Dust on a digital camera’s sensor can ruin photos & video with spots, this camera cleaning kit allows you to safely remove the dust without damaging the sensitive sensor.
One of my favorite pieces of photography gear, the Peak Design Capture Clip allows you to wear your camera on your belt, or on your backpack straps, keeping your hands free for other tasks. The camera adapter fits into most tripod heads too!
Clipping in and out of the device is very quick and easy. You can even run with your camera strapped to your belt wearing this thing. Never miss another shot due to messing around with a camera bag. It’s a fantastic accessory for those who hike or walk a lot with their camera.
Photographers can never have enough storage space for their photos! The SanDisk Portable SSD is a pocket hard drive you can bring with you anywhere. Because it’s SSD, the drive is super reliable and can take a bit of abuse on the road.
I bring one of these drives with me to backup up any photos I take during a trip, so I have at least two copies of the images somewhere, just in case my computer gets busted or stolen. The 500 GB version costs less than $100, but you can also get storage up to 4TB (it just costs more).
Does that photographer you’re shopping for never get photos of herself/himself? Why not give the gift of great selfies and group shots without needing to hand the camera over to someone else? Check out this Sony Wireless Bluetooth Remote!
Once paired to a Sony camera, you can use the remote to focus and shoot photos or video from up to 60 feet away. The perfect accessory for an Instagram addict!
IMPORTANT NOTE: this particular remote only works with Sony Cameras. Check out this remote for Canon Cameras, and this one for Nikon Cameras.
READ MORE: What’s The Best Camera For Travel?
A Peak Design Sling Bag is wonderful gift for a photographer who needs something small and lightweight to carry their equipment around. The bag is weather-resistant, stylish, and will help protect camera gear. It also has has a lifetime guarantee!
There are 3 different sizes, and both the 3L & 6L bags are under $100. They are the perfect size to carry a camera and spare lens around a city for a day. Available in multiple colors too. It’s also a wonderful gift for travelers.
A Peak Design Camera Shell is always in my camera bag, as it allows me to protect my camera in bad weather like rain or snow. It also doubles as some basic protection in general, like if I’m just going to throw my camera in a beach bag for the day.
Combined with a Peak Design Capture Clip mentioned earlier, photographers get the best of both worlds — quick access to their camera on the go, but with protection from the elements too. A very unique gift idea for photographers!
The Peak Design Leash is a minimalist camera strap that packs down small, but is easy and convenient to use. The quick connectors can hold up to 200 lbs, so it works for both small and larger camera setups.
If the camera strap is getting in the way or blowing in the wind, for example when your using a tripod, you can easily remove it. It comes in multiple colors, and they have wider versions too if you prefer more comfort.
An air blaster is used to clean a digital camera’s sensor, lens, and other sensitive components from dust buildup. I personally love this particular air blaster because it pre-filters the air coming in, so you’re not just blowing dusty air back on your camera.
It’s also super small and easy to pack in a camera bag. Most photographers carry multiple lenses with them, that need to be changed from time to time. Dust can get into the camera during these lens changes, and it can ruin photos unless it’s blown away.
Another photographer must-have gift is a healthy stash of micro-fiber cleaning cloths. These are used to clean fingerprints, smudges, and water droplets off a camera lens to get the clearest images possible.
I always pack a few of these in my camera bag, and I’m always running low on them too.
These K&F Concept Micro-Fiber Cloths are my favorites so far, each comes individually vacuum-sealed to ensure they are free of dust. They are small, and don’t take up much space.
I own a few of these Think Tank Camera Accessory Pouches (in different sizes) to keep all my cables, battery chargers, SD cards, and other camera accessories organized. The clear sides allow me to quickly figure out what’s inside.
An awesome gift for photographers who want to stay more organized!
This is just a fun photography gift. Know someone who’s both into photography, and loves coffee? These camera lens coffee mugs are a wonderful gift idea!
The mugs look exactly like camera lenses, and they come in both white and black colors. The top of these stainless steel insulated coffee mugs even looks like lenses! This could also be a good idea for photography enthusiasts who work from home.
Every photographer needs a solid tripod to help capture the magic of the northern lights, epic sunrises and sunsets, and other kids of low-light or night photography. The Peak Design Travel Tripod is small enough to take anywhere and strong enough to hold large cameras.
The innovative design allows it to be packed down very small for travel, yet extends to a full size tripod. It also includes a handy attachment for your smartphone! You can read my full review of this tripod here.
This thing is magic! The Fujifilm Instax Printer is an ultra small portable photo printer that allows you to quickly print photos directly from your smartphone for friends and family. It’s super fun to bring to parties, family reunions, or while traveling.
Send your photos to the printer via Bluetooth from your phone, and print them out to give to friends or hang them up around the house. Images print fast, with surprising quality, in a 2X3 format.
While it may look like a normal picture frame, this Digital Photo Frame from Aura can store all your favorite photos and display them in high resolution on a rotating basis. The frame is 9 inches.
You can control what’s displayed on the frame using their smartphone app, or set it up with some pre-loaded images before you give it as a gift (great for family or friends who might not be very tech savvy). The brightness of the photos automatically adjusts to the ambient lighting of the room too.
I know most photographers think their photos are amazing already, but there’s always room to improve! The best way to level-up your photography skills is to learn from other professional working photographers.
Gifting a professional online photography course is a wonderful present for that photographer in your life. Plenty of amature photographers could use some help with turning their hobby into a well-paying career.
Luckily I’ve put together a review about my favorite online photography classes that cover everything from post-processing techniques — to making money with your photography.
Well, that’s it for the best gifts for photographers in 2021. I hope you found some unique gift ideas for the photographer in your life who loves shooting images.
Whether you’re photography shopping for a birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwansa, or even Festivus — you can’t go wrong with these fun photography gifts!
I actually own and use most of these products regularly as a working photographer.
Happy shopping this holiday season, and remember to get out there with your own camera too! ★
Check out my full Amazon Shop to see all my favorite travel, photography, and outdoor gear.
I hope you enjoyed my guide to the best gifts for photographers in 2021 Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:
Have any questions about these photography gifts? What about other suggestions for travelers? Drop me a message in the comments below!
This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.
In this Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Multi-Cooker OP350UK review we put the brand’s classic cooker to the test, making chicken, chips, and charred corn. Along with Instant Pot, Ninja is one of the most popular multicooker brands. And if you’re in the market for a versatile countertop cooker, Ninja is definitely a brand worth considering. With plenty of models to choose from, Ninja’s range of multicookers come in a variety of sizes that all offer slightly different functions.
The Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 OP350UK has a six litre capacity which is plenty big enough for 4-6 person recipes. It’s double the price of some multicookers, but the crisping lid means it’s much more versatile too, functioning as one of the best air fryers, as well as grilling and roasting. It’s simple to use with but it’s a chunky beast that’s not for small kitchens.
Reasons to buy:
Reasons to avoid:
The Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 comes in a big heavy box that meant it was easier to unpack on the floor. Thankfully it’s got two big easy-to-grip handles on either side, so getting it out of the box and moving it to the kitchen counter was easy enough. Having said that, it’s worth noting that at 9kg (not including the pressure lid and rack) it’s a weighty cooker. In the box there were some plastic bags to protect each of the parts, but otherwise it was free of any chunky plastic or polystyrene packaging.
The Ninja is a substantial multicooker, it takes up more space on the counter than most others I’ve reviewed. Plus, there’s an additional pressure cooking lid and a reversible rack that need to be stored separately. So even if you plan to keep it on the counter, these extras will need a home.
The main crisping lid is hinged, so when you want to pressure cook or slow cook, you just leave it open and attach the other lid. This might be tricky if you’ve got low wall cabinets because it’s quite tall with the crisping lid open. Nevertheless, the pressure lid slots easily into place.
The pressure release valve is quite traditional and when you turn it to vent, your hands are very near the steam outlet so it’s a good idea to wear oven gloves or use tongs. All the cooking functions are clearly laid out on the control panel and there’s a big dial to switch between cooking modes and adjust the time and temperature.
When you first switch on the Foodi it remembers the last cooking method you used, but if you want to do something else, turning the dial allows you to select a different cooking method. The cooking methods to choose from are pressure, steam, slow cook, yogurt, sear/ sauté, air crisp, grill, bake/ roast and dehydrate.
After you choose your cooking method, pressing either the time or temperature button and turning the dial again will adjust these settings before you press the dial to start cooking. I found it really easy to operate and barely had to consult the manual for this part.
The Foodi doesn’t have any pre-set cooking programs for different foods or recipes. However, I was pleased to see that it comes with a recipe book and cooking charts included in the box. Lots of other multicookers that I’ve reviewed fail to provide cooking charts, so you end up having to guess and experiment a lot. But with the Foodi, the charts provide a good starting point for lots of common foods. Even if you do have to adjust times to suit your taste, it’s helpful to have a starting point.
For my first attempt at cooking in the Ninja OP350UK I picked an orange almond cake recipe from the Ninja cooking circle website. I made up the cake batter as directed and then filled a lined cake tin. The recipe tells you to put the cake tin on the low rack. I baked it as per the recipe, on 140oC for a total time of one hour, stopping after 35 minutes to sprinkle almonds on top.
There was no preheat required, the timer started its countdown from the minute I pressed start. My first impression was that it was noisier than I expected. I’d say the volume was about the same as my kettle when it comes to a boil. The cake filled the house with a lovely orange aroma and was easy to lift out with the handles on the rack.
The flaked almonds didn’t stick to the top of the cake, so they fell off when I turned it out of the tin. But other than this very small complaint, I was really happy with the cake. It may have taken longer than it would in my main oven, but it was a beautifully soft and fluffy cake that I’d happily serve to guests.
To figure out the cook time for a whole chicken I used the cooking cheat sheet that came in the box. First I pressure cooked it on high for 15 minutes in the basket, with 125ml water in the pot. After preheating for about 10-15 minutes, the Ninja prompted me to add more water and when I opened it up, it was clear it had boiled dry before reaching pressure. So I added more water and restarted it for 15 minutes. This time it reached pressure very quickly and started counting down the 15 minutes.
At the end of the pressure cooking program, I flicked the steam release valve to vent, it took just 45 seconds to release all of the pressure so that I could open the lid.
I brushed the chicken with oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and closed the crisping lid. This was when I realised that my chicken was a tad too big and I had to squash it down to get the lid to close. I set the Ninja to Air Crisp at 200oC for 20 minutes. But when I checked it, it wasn’t thoroughly cooked, so I added a further 10 minutes.
The finished chicken wasn’t perfect. The top had been touching the crisping lid and that part of the breast was overcooked and tough as were the tops of the legs. The meat underneath was tender and moist though. Even though my chicken was 2.2kg which was within the range on the cooking cheat sheet, I think I’d get much better results with a smaller chicken and perhaps a longer pressure cook time and shorter browning time.
The recipe book that came in the box had a recipe for potato wedges that I thought would go nicely with the roast chicken. As directed, I pressure cooked the wedges for three minutes. The preheat took 10 minutes and the quick pressure release was a further minute and a half, which meant this stage took around 15 minutes in total. Then I poured oil over the wedges and set to Air Crisp for 30 minutes.
I turned the wedges a few times to ensure even crisping and browning and I was really pleased with the golden colour and crisp texture once the program ended. As per the recipe I made a dressing which I poured onto the wedges at the end of cooking, it did make them a bit soggy but added loads of flavour.
Next, I followed the time given in the steam chart for corn on the cob. I popped the corn on the reversible rack, added 500ml of water and set to steam for six minutes with the steam vent open. After preheating for seven minutes it started counting down.
It’s worth noting that lots of steam was released during cooking so it’s best to keep the Ninja close to your extractor fan to avoid a really steamy kitchen. Other than this, it worked well and the corn was perfectly tender and cooked when the timer finished.
To make the corn a little more interesting I decided to switch on the sauté function, added a little oil and paprika, then the cooked corn cobs. I wanted a fried, slightly charred texture on the outside. The sauté function did work well, my only issue is that the base of the cooking pot isn’t completely flat. So the oil sat around the outside edge of the pot and I had to move the corn to the edges otherwise it wasn’t frying in the oil.
Not only is the Ninja Foodi easy to use, but virtually all the removable accessories are dishwasher safe, so it’s also super easy to clean. Even the pressure lid can go in the dishwasher. The pressure release valve and anti-clog cap have to be washed by hand but given that everything else can go in the dishwasher, I think that’s forgivable.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, the cooking pot has a non-stick coating, so it cleans easily. The Cook & Crisp basket and detachable diffuser can be a bit trickier to clean. After air frying the whole chicken there was a lot of baked on greasy residue, so I just filled the cooking pot with warm soapy water and left the basket in that to soak overnight. Everything wiped away easily in the morning.
The Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 is a versatile multicooker that’s got enough functions to make it a useful addition to your kitchen. It’s easy to use and easy to clean with lots of information on cook times and settings, making it a great option if you’re unsure of multicookers and want advice on how to cook various foods.
It is big, maybe too big for smaller kitchens. Having said that, it doubles as an air fryer, so it saves space in comparison to having a multicooker and a separate air fryer. It also has a large capacity so is great for bigger families and for batch cooking.
I enjoyed how simple it is to use and although my roast chicken didn’t cook quite as I’d hoped, I was pleased with everything else I made. If you’re nervous of pressure cooking and venting the steam, there are multicookers with safer and easier steam release mechanisms. But all things considered, I like the Ninja and I do think it’s a useful bit of kit.
Helen McCue is a freelance contributor who trained as a Home Economist. After starting her career in the food industry, she moved into home appliance reviews, utilising her cooking skills and experience to put all kinds of products to the test, and over the years has reviewed hundreds of home and kitchen appliances for a variety of publications.
Having completely renovated her current house, Helen reviews kitchen appliances from her open plan kitchen at home in a beautiful Berkshire village. When she’s not working, Helen can be found enjoying the local countryside or dreaming about her next house renovation project.
The post Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Multi-Cooker OP350UK review appeared first on Ideal Home.
